This invention relates to a multifocal hydrophilic ("soft") or rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lens and method of use in preparing and fitting a customized multifocal contact lens. This invention also relates to a multifocal contact lens (hydrophilic or RGP) produced using such a method.
Bifocal contact lenses are designed to correct or compensate for a condition of advancing age known as "presbyopia." In a presbyopic eye, the ability to focus at near distances, such as the normal reading distance, and in some cases at great distances, is diminished. The loss of focusing capability is due to hardening of the eye's natural crystalline lens material.
Generally, multifocal contact lenses (usually either bifocal, trifocal or aspheric) are concentric or segmented in configuration. In a conventional bifocal contact lens of the concentric type, a first, centrally located, circular correction zone constitutes either distant or near vision correction, while a second annular correction zone surrounding the first zone provides the corresponding near or distance vision correction, respectively. In a conventional bifocal contact lens of the segmented or translating type, the lens is divided into two somewhat D-shaped zones. Usually the upper area is for distant vision correction, whereas the lower area is for near vision correction. Such conventional segmented contact lenses require some sort of movement of the lens relative to the eye to achieve acceptable visual acuity for both distant and near vision.
One accepted method of fitting contact lenses is based on taking so called K readings (which measure the center of the cornea) and fitting the center of the contact lens in a predetermined relationship to those readings. This, however, is not the only method of fitting contact lenses.
In all conventional bifocal fitting techniques, the bifocal or multifocal contact lenses is optimally designed to be particularly positioned on the cornea. However, it is very difficult in many cases, to position the lens to achieve the required fit. In general, the hardest part of fitting a lens is to position the lens at a desired location on the patient's cornea.
Precise fitting of a bifocal contact lens to the eye is crucial in so called simultaneous vision contact lenses where the brain receives both near and far vision input and selects between the near vision input and the far vision input, depending on the desired object(s) of perception.
As mentioned above, the segmented bifocal contact lenses translate to some extent on the eye. Such lenses cannot be locked onto the cornea. However, for good vision, some stability is necessary.